ABSTRACT
BACKGROUNDS/AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and chronic alcoholism are major risk factors for chronic liver disease in Korea. METHODS: We investigated the prevalence of occult HBV infection in 198 non-alcoholic (group I) and 85 chronic alcoholic subjects (group II), none of whom showed the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). Among chronic alcoholics, 25 patients showed cirrhosis. Using serum samples stored at -70 degrees C, liver enzymes, anti-Hbs, and IgG anti-HBc were measured via EIA and serum HBV DNA was quantified via real time PCR. RESULTS: IgG anti-HBc seropositivity, an indicator of past infection, was higher in group II (64.7%) than in group I (43.4%; p<0.01). Eleven of 283 patients (3.2%) were seropositive for HBV DNA, indicating occult infection, but this value did not differ between groups (group I: 3.5%, 7/198; group II: 4.7%, 4/85; p=0.64). In group II, HBV DNA seropositivity was higher in cirrhotic patients (12%, 3/25) than in non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease (1.7%, 1/60; p=0.074). CONCLUSIONS: Past HBV infection was more prevalent in alcoholics than non-alcoholics, but the prevalence of occult HBV infection did not differ between groups. However, alcoholics with cirrhosis tended to show a higher prevalence of occult HBV infection.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alcoholics , Alcoholism , DNA , Fibrosis , Hepatitis , Hepatitis B , Hepatitis B Surface Antigens , Hepatitis B virus , Immunoglobulin G , Korea , Liver , Liver Diseases , Liver Diseases, Alcoholic , Prevalence , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
There has been an increase in the number of patients treated with pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin due to the better antiviral efficacy. The main serious adverse events of PEG-IFN plus ribavirin combination therapy are bone marrow suppression and hemolytic anemia. However, there are few reports of vasculitis occurring during PEG-IFN therapy. We describe a patient who developed vasculitis during the treatment of chronic hepatitis C with PEG-IFN and ribavirin.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Antiviral Agents/adverse effects , Drug Therapy, Combination , Hepatitis C, Chronic/drug therapy , Interferon alpha-2/adverse effects , Liver Function Tests , Polyethylene Glycols/adverse effects , Ribavirin/adverse effects , Skin/drug effects , Vasculitis/chemically inducedABSTRACT
Clinical trials of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor have demonstrated significant efficacy in those patients with Crohn's disease that is not responsive to other anti-inflammatory drug. Infliximab is a human-murine chimeric monoclonal antibody with a high binding affinity and specificity for TNF-alpha. Yet therapy with infliximab is associated with an increased risk of opportunistic infection, and especially tuberculosis. Here we reported on a case of tuberculous meningitis in 26-year-old man, and he was treated with infliximab for uncontrolled and fistulous Crohn's disease. We also include a review of the literature.